Sávio is enjoying his first months at PSV to the fullest. The eighteen-year-old Brazilian was welcomed with much fanfare this summer and, despite the language barrier, immediately fell into place in Eindhoven. Still, Sávio sees a big difference in football culture in the Netherlands compared to his native country, and therefore asks the PSV fans for patience.
On July 22, PSV announced that it would hire Sávio Moreira de Oliveira, Sávio for short, from Troyes AC. By that club – owned by the City Football Group – the top talent was taken over from Atlético Mineiro for a maximum of 12.5 million euros. Sávio settled with his parents in Best, a town in Brabant near Eindhoven. He likes it there very much, he says in conversation with the Eindhovens Dagblad.
“The people here at PSV have delivered on everything they promised me,” says the young wing attacker. “Before I came here, I was presented with a certain image, kind of like how things could go for me in this season. Well, it’s all come true. I still need time to adjust, but I still get opportunities to to grow.” Sávio collected 65 minutes over five Eredivisie matches as a substitute, in which he managed to produce two assists.
The Brazilian youth international does not speak English, let alone Dutch and only a few words of Spanish. As far as his ‘integration’ is concerned, Sávio has a lot to do with Xavi Simons, who speaks Portuguese like him. “I can communicate fully with him and I am very grateful that he is there. He tries to help me with everything on and off the field.” Simons not only serves as a guide for his colleague, he also sets an example in the sporting field. “Of course he is still a young player, but he is a very inspiring professional who knows what it takes to become a top football player.”
Since Simons is originally an attacking midfielder, Sávio’s ‘real’ sporting example walks around the border. Saillaint detail: Jorge Sampaoli – the man under whom the Brazilian made his debut as a professional football player – even called Sávio a greater talent than his role model. “Who is an example for me? Rodrygo’s career really appeals to me,” says Sávio. “To play with him at Real Madrid one day, that’s a dream. But I’m not that far yet and I have to prove myself here first.”